The equipment of choice for most competitive players, this control option offers redundancy — the L and R triggers can both be used to shield, the X and Y buttons or up on the control stick can all be used to jump, and the C-stick or a control stick direction + A-button can be used to attack. Use this redundancy to your advantage and choose the buttons that best suit you and split up the work load between your fingers evenly.

One of the drawbacks of the GCN controller is that the L and R triggers need to be pressed all the way down in order to shield. This is because Brawl no longer needs the analog input on the triggers since light shielding was removed between Melee and Brawl. To alleviate this problem just purchase a tri-wig screwdriver and remove the springs behind the L and R triggers (this may void any warranties on the controller).

Almost all players use the C-stick instead of pressing a control stick direction + A for their Smash and air attacks. This is not a sign of weakness; it is simplifying a task you’ll likely repeat an average of 100 to 150 times a match. Being efficient is not only easier, but smarter. That said, few players rely solely on the C-stick, and at some point you will likely perform some Smash attacks using the control stick + A-button so you can charge the attack when needed. It’s possible to charge attacks with the C-stick by pressing the C-stick + A-button or Z-button, but this option is less often used by most players as both inputs rely on the right hand and is less efficient.

If you have experimented with button mapping, you may have noticed that the B button can be mapped to the C-Stick. This actually creates some odd properties otherwise impossible with a regular controller configuration. Try this option with different characters, as some of these odd properties are more useful on some characters than others.

One last option new to Brawl is that you can remove control stick jumping. Keep this in mind if you find yourself having difficulty performing up-Tilts or up-Smashes and are jumping instead.

Note: All the articles in this section assume default configurations unless otherwise noted.